Retail Resources

Support Resources

Frequently asked questions.

Get honest (non-salesy) answers to your top questions about switching to Vend.

The Vend FAQ page covers various topics, including costs, security, support, and more, so you should be able to find most, if not all of the answers you need here. However, if you still have some unaddressed questions, feel free to get in touch with our support team or our sales consultants at sales@vendhq.com.

1. I don’t want to spend a fortune, how much does it cost to switch to Vend?

We don’t want you to spend a fortune either which is why Vend has a
tiered pricing model where the costs
depend on how big your business is. Plans start at
US$69 per month and can go up to
US$249 per month (US$199 per month if billed annually).

All plans include one free register, but you can add as many registers as you need. Depending on
the plan you select, registers start at
US$49 per register per month (or
US$39 per month if
billed annually). To be safe, you should probably start with a free account so you can give us a
test drive without investing too much from the get-go.

2. I’m a very busy person, how much time does it take to set up Vend?

It really depends on how many products you have and how busy you are. Some merchants complete the process within a couple of hours, but if you have tons of SKUs and not a lot of free time, it could take weeks.

We do understand that time IS money for entrepreneurs, so in order to make set-up as quick and painless as possible, we recommend that you prepare CSV files of the following before starting the process:

List of all products

List of prices and tax information

List of SKUs or barcodes

List of customers

For more info, you might want to check out Vend’s POS Buyer’s Guide where we provide more information + checklists of what you may need when choosing and setting up your POS. If you need someone to walk you through the process, just get in touch with us and support staff can assist you.

Vend also offers professional services that include hands-free setup (where we take care of everything, including migrating products and customers) and one-to-one training. Find out more.

Alternatively, you can find a Vend partner in your area to provide on-site POS installation and account set up for you. Our partners are certified Vend experts who can get you up and running with the hardware, software, and add-ons you need to run your store.

3. Is Vend compatible with my existing hardware?

It’s very likely that Vend will play nice with the printers, scanners, credit card readers, and equipment you already have. We focus on making the software work with the best and most commonly used retail hardware and we hear a lot from retailers using Vend successfully with printers we’d never even heard of.

Can’t find your existing hardware on our list of recommendations? Contact our sales consultants at sales@vendhq.com or sign up for a free account and see how Vend works with your store’s existing hardware.

4. I want to use Vend on an iPad, is it going to work for me?

First off, good for you for deciding to use an iPad-based solution. An increasing number of retailers are opting for mobile POS systems because they’re sleek, portable, and allow you to bring the check out process to your customers.

And yes, Vend runs great on an iPad. You’ll be able to get the system up and running either by downloading our iPad app or using our web-based application. Check out this article for step-by-step instructions + a video on how to set up Vend on your iPad.

5. I’m not a techie person, will I have a hard time migrating my products and customers to Vend?

It shouldn’t be that difficult if you know your way around CSV files and importing tools. Vend lets you add your products one-by-one and we also have a CSV import functionality if you want to add products in bulk.

For step-by-step instructions on how to do this you can check out the following articles:

We even made a guide to try to make it easy and fun to get started. Check it out here. And if you need someone to guide you throughout the migrating process (or even do it for you) you may want to consider investing in Vend professional services so we can get you up and running in as little time possible. Find out more.

Most people who switch to Vend never look back. Merchants love the software’s user-friendly and intuitive interface, as well as its features and integrations. You don’t have to take our word for it though; here are some examples of happy Vend customers and what they have to say about the POS.

However, we understand that each business is unique and not all tools may be a good fit for you. That’s why we invite you to take a tour of our software and see if it meets your needs.

You can also register for a free account to get a hands-on feel of how it works. Finally, you can always talk to our trusty sales consultants for any specific questions or concerns and they’ll help you decide if Vend really is right for you. Drop us a line at sales@vendhq.com.

7. I’ve been using the same merchant processor for years, can I still use it with Vend?

You getting paid is very important to us, which is why Vend works with leading payment processors including PayPal, Tyro, Element, DPS, and many local merchant service providers so you can accept various payment types including cash, credit, debit, and mobile payments.

8. I love our accounting software, does it integrate with Vend?

Vend works great with Xero online accounting. Data flows seamlessly between your POS and accounting software giving you greater insights into your business performance and eliminating the need for manual data entry. The integration is simple to set up and free to use, check out more information here.

Vend also integrates with other cloud-based accounting software like Xero.

9. I don’t live in the USA, does Vend work in my country?

You bet. Vend has customers in over 100 countries, and we have partners and certified experts across the globe. As one of our customers in Japan said, “Don’t be afraid. Vend runs totally fine in Japan.” (And it’ll work in your location, too!).

Vend also has offices in New Zealand, Australia, USA, Canada, and the UK, and we’ll soon be expanding to other parts of the world.

10. I don’t like to get stuck if I have questions, can I call your support team any time?

We wouldn’t want you to get to get stuck either. Fortunately, Vend support is available 24
hours a day, 7 days a week.

Email support is free with all trial and billed subscriptions so you can send us a message
whenever you get stuck. You can also reach out to us via social media. 24/7 Priority phone support
is included for free with Multi-Outlet subscriptions, and available with Advanced
plans at
US$19 per month. Additionally, you can consult our Help Center any time to find the answer to your
question.

11. I own a seasonal business. Can I cancel my subscription but still keep my data?

You sure can. We know how valuable your data is to you so we’ve taken the steps to ensure
that you never lose it. Vend offers an “On-Ice” service for
US$5 a month, where retain
all your store data until you’re ready to use your account again.

If you prefer to download the data yourself, or if you want to permanently cancel your account,
you can export your sales history, product list, customer list, and any other reports you might
need.

Click here to learn more about Vend’s On-Ice service and instructions on how to export your store data.

12. I don’t have a reliable Internet connection, can I still make Vend work for me?

While we highly recommend that you run Vend with a stable Internet connection, we know that occasionally, your web provider might let you down. That’s why Vend has an offline mode that still lets you perform a number of store tasks such as taking cash payments and searching for products. Other features however, won’t be available offline.

To learn more about what you can and can’t do with Vend when you’re offline, check out this help article on offline mode. Needless to say, you need to invest in a reliable Internet connection to make sure that Vend (along with other parts of your biz) can function without a hitch.

13. I have thousands of existing printed barcodes from my old POS, can I use these with Vend?

Yes. Existing barcodes can be scanned into the SKU field in the product page, so you won’t have to generate new ones from scratch. Check out this article for step-by-step instructions + a video on how to import your products into Vend using a CSV.

14. I have an online store, will Vend integrate with it?

Vend connects directly with Shopify, so it’s the easiest integration we have when it comes to online shopping carts. However, Vend can also talk to other ecommerce solutions (Magento, eBay, Etsy, BigCommerce, etc.) via integration services like Stitchlabs, Vortex, and more. It might cost a little extra, though.

15. I have more than one store, will Vend work for me?

Yes, indeed. Vend works great for retailers with multiple locations and it makes it easy to manage
your inventory, staff and customer information across all your stores. Do note that you will need
additional registers for your other stores and this costs
US$39 per register per month
when you purchase the Multi-Outlet plan.

16. I don’t feel comfortable with web-based solutions, is my data safe in the cloud?

Relax, Vend doesn’t store any sensitive data (like credit card info) so data breaches are highly unlikely. As far as crashes or outages, our entire server is backed up to the hour so in the (again, highly unlikely) event that something goes wrong, your data will remain safe.

If anything, your data is actually safer when you store it in the cloud compared to saving it locally. Why? Because in case (knock on wood) something happens to your devices (i.e. you get the blue screen of death or they get stolen) you’ll still be able to access and take control of your information using other devices that can log into Vend.

17. I need someone to come over and set up my POS system. Does Vend do “house calls”?

We get it. You’re business-savvy, but not necessarily tech-savvy. Good thing Vend has partners in various cities all around the world who would be happy to come to you. These Vend partners can set up your POS system and educate you and your employees on how to use it. That way, you can focus less on the techie details and do more of what you love.

Click here to view our expert directory and locate a Vend partner near you. Can’t find one in your area? Vend also offers professional services which are designed to take the pain out of migrating from your current POS system. Find out more.

18. I want to see Vend in action, is there anyone locally I can visit to see their store using Vend?

We love connecting retailers with each other. Contact us at sales@vendhq.com and we’ll put you in touch with Venders in your area. Or if you’re working with a local Vend partner, you can also ask them about their other clients using our product so can see it in action for yourself.

19. I like Vend but don’t know where to start, what should I do next?

Talk to us! Really. We’d be happy to discuss your questions or concerns so you can make the right decision. Also swing by our support forums, our fun Getting Started guide and Vend University for video tutorials, articles, and other resources about how to use Vend (and how to be a better retailer in general.)

But the best and sure-fire way to determine if Vend is a good fit for your biz is trying it out for yourself. Try us for free for a month, and take advantage of our email support while you’re at it so you can get all the answers you need.